The Effect of the Dragon
by Allard-Liao
Summary: After the defeats of Alduin, Haarkon, and Miraak, there is only one thing left to conquer: the stars. This is the story of what the Empire finds there.
1. Prologue

In the Two Hundred Twenty-Third year of the Fourth Era, the Last Dragonborn (who, it turned out, was not the last) officially declared war on the Aldmeri Dominion by razing the Thalmor Embassy in Skyrim to the ground on the Thirtieth of Frostfall. No one missed the symbolism.

At the same time, a massive rebellion, stirred up by the Nerevarine, erupted in Elsewyr. Within days, several cities are wrenched from the Thalmors' grasp.

A month later, the Dragonborn led a massive coalition of soldiers from Hammerfell, High Rock, Orsinium, Skyrim, and Morrowind in a drive through Cyrodiil to the Imperial City.

The Khajiit Revolution successfully removed all Thalmor presence from Elsewyr and reunited the province later that week.

After a surprisingly bloodless fortnight, the Army of the Dragon arrived at the gates of the City. They were met by Emperor Titus Mede II and a company of Penitus Oculatus. After a brief exchange of words, Titus gave the throne to the Dragonborn, who then changed his name to Dovahkaaz (Dragon Cat, in the dragon tongue).

A week after Cyrodiil's surrender, the Elsewyri forces, still under the leadership of the Nerevarine and with reinforcements from Argonia, launched an invasion of Valenwood. The Army of the Dragon marched in nine days later to reinforce the offensive which had ground down to a tree-by-tree slog. Even with that second front, the Thalmor still held three strong points two months into the Siege of Valenwood.

At that moment, reinforcements from the Summerset Isles arrived and the Thalmor counter-invasion began.

Their first eight boatloads of a hundred soldiers, each, landed in the vicinity of Anvil. Their rapid advance from their landing zones was met with determined resistance by the Anvil, Skingrad, and Kvatch chapters of the Fighters' Guild. Despite being outnumbered more than three to one, they contained the Thalmor for two weeks, long enough for half of the Army of the Dragon arrived and routed the elves.

A similar story played out on the shores of Hammerfell. When the Thalmor arrived, their ships came under attack from numerous privateer vessels. Two of the Altmer transports were sunk before they could offload their troops. The soldiers who landed were quickly beset by hundreds of Alik'r cavalrymen. The resulting battle lasted for nearly two hours, only ending as early as it did because of the destruction of the remaining Thalmor ships and subsequent bombardment of their warriors. They quickly surrendered.

The most brutal conflict of the entire War was the Elsewyr landing in Senchal. The elves arrived at an utterly deserted settlement. When the first soldier's boots hit the shore, the entire landing went to Oblivion. A legion of werelions rushed out from the surrounding swampy jungle and swarmed the landing zone. The slaughter lasted no more than twenty minutes. The lycanthropes even went as far as tearing the ships to flinders, leaving no survivors.

Thanks to a clever commander, the Thalmor were more successful in High Rock. Their fleet sailed along the coast toward Northpoint before doubling back and landing at Daggerfall. Because of the original course, only the Daggerfall town guard was available to dispute the Altmer landing, but they were quickly overwhelmed. With that foothold obtained, the High Elves fortified their position, waiting for reinforcements. Over the next four months, the Imperial Legion, with help from the various chapters of the Fighters' and, surreptitiously, Thieves' Guilds, assaulted Daggerfall three times, but they were driven back each time.

In the wake of the third assault, the reinforced Thalmor pushed up the peninsula, taking Camlorn in a week.

That was when the world learned that the dragons had chosen a side, that of Dovahkaaz. In simultaneous assaults, Odahviing led over a dozen dragons against the fleets that were meant to deliver the invasions of Skyrim and Morrowind while Paarthurnax brought nearly a hundred more to bear against the Thalmor in High Rock.

The attack on the fleets took place over a single night, with the dragons managing to surprise the elves. While the dragons refuse to divulge the details, what is known is that, come morning, the horizon glowed with the burning wrecks of ships, and there were no mortal survivors.

In the assaults of Daggerfall and Camlorn, with innocent bystanders involved, a more tactful and precise approach was used. No destructive Thu'ums were used; teeth and claws and blade-like tail-tips were wielded in their stead, usually following a use of the Thu'um to rip away their enemies' weapons. After twenty minutes, half a legion of Orsimer berserkers launched their own assault on each city. In the street-by-street combat that followed, everyone wearing Thalmor armor or robes was shown no mercy. With the death of the last Aldmeri soldier in Daggerfall, the Battle for High Rock ended.

The invasion of Argonia will likely become a textbook example of how to use the knowledge of the local environment to defeat a much superior force. The Altmers' landing went off without opposition or incident. It was as they started their advance into the swamp that complications arose. By the time the even caught sight of Argonian forces, half of their force was dead or incapacitated due to disease, wild animals, or hazardous terrain. The ensuing chase almost wiped out the Thalmor. When there were only twenty elves left out of four hundred, the lizards finally revealed their full strength, all fifty soldiers, led by a twenty-one-year-old Dragonborn named Shouts-At-Sun. They did not use a single arrow or spell to defeat the invaders, nor did they need to. The campaign, if it can be called that, lasted two and a half months.

Curiously, another fleet was sighted off the coast from Soulrest. Their planned landing areas will never be known, as all four ships disappeared in the Padomeic Ocean before they could come within sight of Tilmoth.

Back in Valenwood, the Armies of the Dragon and Elsewyr continued their drive to root the Thalmor out of mainland Tamriel, paying for every foot of ground they captured with many lives. By the thirteenth of Rain's Hand, 4E 224, only one strong point, Greenheart, had fallen to the Empire, with the other two under siege.

The sieges had little effect until the ninth of Second Seed, when the privateer flotilla blockaded the province and engaged the Thalmor supply ships. Falistene surrendered on the seventh of Midyear. Woodheart continued to hold out, much to the frustration of the Dragonborn and his allies. Finally, on the second of Last Seed, with the largest concentrated army seen in Tamriel to that point, the Empire launched its final assault on the city.

The Nerevarine and Dovahkaaz were each at the forefront of their respective armies as they charged the Aldmeri fortifications. Despite a hail of magic and arrows, both heroes reached the outer barricade intact. With a powerful, combined Unrelenting Force, they Shouted away every obstacle, though not every soldier, between them and the city in a twenty foot swath. The pair continued their charge, keeping most of the defenders' attention focused on them, allowing a number of their soldiers to reach the breach alive and able to fight.

Of what happened inside Woodheart, little is known. Only that, off the one thousand nine hundred seventy men and women who entered, five hundred eighty three, including the Dragonborn and Nerevarine, came back out. As of this writing, none of them have spoken about the assault other than to say that they killed every Thalmor in the city. The battle ended on the third.

Over the next year, the Empire rebuilt its army and navy while fending off Thalmor probes. Finally, on the twenty third of Midyear, 4E 225, the largest assembled fleet in Nirn's history set sail with eight hundred fifty ships and eighty five thousand soldiers. Following them were a hundred supply ships and eighty five medical vessels, enough support to keep the reconstituted Army of the Dragon fighting for up to a year.

A sixth of the fleet split off and assaulted the westernmost of the Summerset Isles, Auridon, while the rest continued on to Summerset.

The former part of the task force split into two prongs, both reaching their targets on the seventh of Sun's Height.

The southern prong, consisting the Companions and the Morrowind, Hammerfell, and High Rock branches of the Fighter's Guild, under the command of Aela the Huntress and her and Dovahkaaz's adopted children, Ma'isha and Ma'rahka, landed at Skywatch.

The northern prong, drawn from the Cyrodiil, Valenwood, Elsewyr, and Argonia branches of the guild and commanded by Modryn Oreyn, started their invasion at Firsthold.

The Summerset invasion fleet divided into three, striking at Lilandril, Shimmerene, and Dusk on the thirteenth. The battles that followed were drawn-out, bloody affairs.

Each of the landing zone cities fell within days of each other in Last Seed. Firsthold was captured on the third and Shimmerene on the fourth. Lilandril was next, becoming Imperial property on the ninth, followed by Dusk on the twelfth. Skywatch held out the longest, due to its mountainous location, finally falling on the nineteenth.

After a week fortifying their footholds, the Legions pushed forward. From Lilandril, Firsthold, and Skywatch, the Army drove southward. From Dusk and Shimmerene, they advanced to the East. Marbruk Brook, Karnwasten Moor, and Rosefield were taken a month later. That pattern continued for town after town.

After a year, Auridon was completely under Imperial control, the Lilandril front had advanced to Cloudrest, the Dusk front had reached Sunhold, and the Shimmerene front was on Alinor's doorstep at Riverwatch.

It was at Cloudrest that an unexpected behavior was first observed. When the Army of the dragon arrived, they found the city devoid of Thalmor. The citizens had revolted and pledged allegiance to the Empire. Across the northwestern quarter of Summerset, the revolt toppled Aldmeri counts again and again. The only settlement north and west of Ebon Stradmont where was combat was the Crystal Tower.

To the South was a much harder slog. There was no revolt to help there. While the advance from Dusk slowed down to a crawl, the central prong struck out from Riverwatch, surrounding Alinor and laying siege to the city.

Over the next eleven months, both sides fortified their positions, occasionally sending out forays to test each other's defenses. As the time passed, both forces began to run low on supplies. The Imperial army managed to receive periodic resupply when each of the other fronts arrived to reinforce the siege, but it still was not enough to keep the Army in peak condition.

As they were driven back, the Thalmor had grabbed all the food they could and put the rest to the torch, denying the Empire vital supplies.

Finally, on the eighteenth of Midyear, the Legions sent to Auridon rejoined the main body and landed on the coast, fully encircling Alinor. The city surrendered, officially ending the war, on the fourth of Sun's Height, 4E 227. The day has since become an Empire-wide holiday.

—The Second Great War by Hadvar of Riverwood, Published 5E 4

* * *

Fifth Era Timeline

4E 228/5E 0

Emperor Dovahkaaz I is officially crowned Emperor of a united Tamriel on the first of Sun's Dawn.

The White-Gold Concordat is dissolved.

The Blades are re-formed with Paarthurnax as Grandmaster. The Way of the Voice becomes mandatory training for all agents.

The Nerevarine departs for Akavir, again.

5E 1

The Emperor surprises almost everyone in the Empire by admitting that he has been a werewolf for nearly twenty eight years. This is immediately followed by an edict allowing all lycanthropes of all types to live their lives openly without fear of being hunted by the law merely for being what they are on the condition that they can control their bloodlust. Any that couldn't were hunted down and either relocated to Vardenfell or put out of their misery. This was the first of many racial equality reforms passed by Dovahkaaz.

5E 17

After more than a decade of negotiations, three of the four nations of Akavir agree to join the Empire. The Kamal refuse.

5E 43

The secrets of creating stalhrim are rediscovered. The specially enchanted ice quickly becomes the standard material for the armor and weapons of the Army of the Dragon.

5E 87

Emperor Dovahkaaz I passes away at the age of one hundred forty eight, shortly after convincing the reclusive Maormer to join the Empire. His designated heir becomes Emperor Dovahkaaz II.

5E 117

Led by Knight-Paladin Gelebor, a population of Snow Elves revealed themselves and integrated into the Empire.

5E 481

With the help of the last of his kind, Yagrum Bagarn, the enigma of Dwemer mechanisms was cracked, beginning the Age of Machinery.

5E 509

With new Oculories, many scholars find that Mundus is not limited to Nirn, but may stretch distances that are inconceivable to the common mind.

5E 510

Scholars coin the term "Lorkhan Collective" ("Collective" for short) to refer to a group of worlds revolving around a sun much the same way Masser and Secunda revolve around Nirn, whose Collective holds four other worlds. Nirn is the second world in the collective

The Emperor immediately posts a monetary reward of one hundred thousand Septims to anyone who could devise a way for Scholars to physically study these worlds.

5E 912

A team of Falmer, Argonian, and even two dragon scholars finally develops the solution: the Aetherial Vessels.

Among the new technologies created for these ships are an air creation system, a fully-sealed armored shell crafted from stalhrim, and an engine capable of reaching Aetherius. This engine directs air heated by a hyper-enhanced version of the Flames spell out of the rear of the vessel to propel the ship forward.

In addition, to protect the scholars, the Void Armor, a sealed variant of Ebony, is forged. Two unique enchantments are designed just for this armor: one, a modified version of the Waterbreathing enchantment, provides a lungful of air every time the wearer requires it; the other allows the armor to repair itself.

Construction begins later that year.

5E 927

The first Aetherial Vessel is completed. It is christened the _Dragoncat_, given a crew of forty scholars escorted by ten warriors from the Fighters' Guild, and launched to explore the Collective.

They learn that one other world would be habitable with the help of Kynareth and appropriately enchanted garments. The rest could be used for mining resources, but little else.

The Emperor quickly sanctioned plans for a colony on this new world, dubbed Talos.

5E 933

The second Aetherial Vessel is built and begins to deliver colonists to Talos. Among them are priests, priestesses, and champions of Kyne, tasked with taming the world for the peoples of Nirn.

At the same time, the _Dragoncat_ delivers the first load of miners to the fourth world.

5E 1781

The entire Nirn Collective has been settled for either mining or habitation.

A network of Aetherial Fortresses has been constructed over Nirn and Talos, hovering over each province's capitol, to facilitate both military and civilian projects.

A new engine type, one that could allow travel between Collectives, begins final development.

5E 1788

The Aetherium Jump Mechanism receives its first large-scale test, retrofitted into the _Dragoncat_.

The Mechanism allows a vessel to "jump" from Aetherius into a plane of Oblivion; it can them "jump" back at a different point. Sheogorath offers the use of the Shivering Isles, but a deal is eventually reached with Meridia, the Princess of Light.

The _Dragoncat_'s crew proves this concept a success by moving from Nirn to the beyond the revolution of the fifth world, a journey that would normally last a week, in under an hour.

5E 1797/6E 0

The _Martin Septim_, the first Aetherial Vessel to incorporate an Aetherium Jump Mechanism during construction, makes the first jump to another Collective.

The Lorkhan Collective, the first discovered and explored, has only three worlds, one of which is barely habitable. With most of its land mass covered in disease-infested swamps, argonians were the obvious choice to form the core population of the colony.

* * *

Sixth Era Timeline

6E 4

To handle mental activities too complex for scholars to handle, something that was becoming increasingly common, the first Unfettered Minds are created. Originally an illegal research project intending to use soul gems to grant immortality, the Minds are so much more. They are formed by infusing a specially prepared Grand soul gem with the essence of a living being's mind. Freed from the limitations of a physical body, their ability to process information reaches levels only the Divines, themselves, can surpass. When the gem that contains the Mind is docked with an automaton or ship, they can control such objects with speed and precision that a living being cannot match. However, they only choose to take over ships in emergencies when their quicker reactions are required.

6E 58

A new category of automatons meant to closely mimic a living body is created to allow Unfettered Minds to interact with their crew in person. These creations are called Simulacrums. Within a decade, well over a hundred Simulacrums are in service across the Imperial Navy.

6E 781

The Empire now spans thirty seven Collectives with a total population of twenty billion Black Souls and three thousand Simulacrums.

In the Shor Collective, a curious discovery is made. A massive artifact many thousands of feet long is found on the edge of the Collective. Its appearance consists of two connected arms with two connected rings between the arms and near their connection point. While no magical energies are detected, its faint resemblance to the symbol for an Oblivion Gate prompts the Emperor to err on the side of caution and declare that area off limits.

Because of that discovery, a program to arm Aetherial Vessels is begun.

6E 799

The first viable Thunderstorm and Sunfury Cannons (projectors of hyper-enhanced versions of the Lightning Storm and Sunfire spells, respectively) are deployed. The use of these spell types was necessary; in Aetherius, fire dissipated over distance while frost quickly melted. Each cannon is an enlarged soul gem slaved to their particular spell connected to a large battery constructed from pure Aetherium. These Aetherium Batteries contain deep, regenerating reservoirs of magicka.

A dozen ships are quickly retrofitted with these weapons as well as Ward Generators.

6E 801

The first full test of the Cannons occurs. To prepare, the Grey Gate, as the construct is called, is towed out of the Collective. Then the twelve warships lined up and opened fire. The pounding continued for two straight days before the Gate finally broke apart. The flash from its explosion became visible in the skies of Shor two months later.

6E 832

The first Black Souls beyond the Empire are discovered. They are a birdlike beast race that call themselves the raloi. Despite not possessing knowledge of magic, they had advanced quite far, especially in the realm of machines. The raloi are integrated into the Empire, and their Collective, the Turvess Collective, is the first to not be named for a deity.

A Gray Gate is discovered at the edge of the Collective and destroyed.

6E 849

The _Wrath of Akatosh_, the first Aetherial Vessel to incorporate raloi technology, is launched. At six thousand feet in length, it is the largest ship in the Imperial Fleet. As the first ship to mount an Atomic Fire Engine, an enhanced version of a raloi prototype, it was also the fastest for its time, traveling at three and a half times the speed of the previous Hyperflame Engine, enabling it to cross a Collective in two days. Its armament of three Thunderstorm and eight Sunfury Cannons is the strongest of any warship, as befitting the ship of a commander.

6E 850/7E 0

Having completed its shakedown run, the _Wrath_ is fully commissioned into the Imperial Navy under the command of High Admiral Kesara, second in command of the entire Navy.

For its maiden voyage, the ship is tasked with exploring the newly discovered Vivec Collective, on the edge of the Empire.

When the _Wrath_ arrives, the Collective is found to already be colonized by another race of Black Souls. Contact with the inhabitants introduces the Empire to the larger community in Mundus.


	2. Chapter 1

January 29, 2163

SSV _Antietam_

In Orbit over Shanxi

Staff Commander Josef Mikhalovic stared at the serviceman who had reported the new contact. "What do you mean it 'just appeared?'"

"Exactly that, sir. Take a look." He brought up a feed from the external cameras and transferred it to the Commander's omni-tool.

On the projection was the next planet in the system. A disk of light bloomed next to the planet and deformed. It brightened until it was nearly blinding and then faded to reveal a ship.

"God damn it. Now we have some sort of cloaking dreadnought to worry about. Whose is it?"

A few seconds later, the answer came. "Unknown, sir."

"What? Scan again."

"Confirmed. The contact does not match any known design profiles and…"

"What is it?"

"Sir, if I'm reading this right, there isn't a trace of element zero in that ship."

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes, sir."

Mikhalovic slumped in his chair. "Do any of you realize what this means? We have a First Contact scenario with a race that managed to reach the stars without eezo. Therefore, we have no idea of what the strengths and weaknesses of their tech may be."

"If it even is tech."

"What makes you say that?"

"This is gonna sound crazy, but the spectral analyzer says that that ship's hull is composed of ice."

"What—?"

"Sir!" The communications tech turned to the Commander. "They're hailing."

"All right. Prep the Contact Package. And pray that they don't start shooting."

* * *

29th of Morning Star, 6E 850/7E 0  
INV _Wrath of Akatosh_  
Near the Fourth World, Vivec Collective

"What did they send us, Graar Mok?" Admiral Kesara turned to the ship's Unfettered Mind.

"Looks like a basic lesson in their history, culture, language, and anat—by the Nine!"

"What?" He brought that chapter of the lesson on the many magelight viewers surrounding the throne. "What bewilderment is Sheogorath trying to cause here?"

"I honestly don't know how this race of Men arose, but I doubt this is daedric trickery. I've scryed their ship twice and found absolutely no magical energies."

"None? How on Nirn did they reach Aetherius, then?" Legate Ioren Wolf-Tooth, commander of the Army company aboard the _Wrath_, asked.

Graar offered an explanation. "Perhaps a system similar to what the raloi were developing when we found them. For all we know, magic may be unique to Nirn."

"That would just be sad." The battlemages idly let sparks dance across his fingers.

"Kesara does not think we have time to debate their tech. Can you understand their tongue, Graar?"

"Yes. I believe I have a firm understanding of their Common Tongue."

"Would you prepare an appropriate Comprehension Charm and send them a message requesting a meeting?" She turned to Ioren. "Kesara requests the services of your most diplomatic mage."

"There's Karus, an imperial."

The admiral shook her head. "No. Kesara thinks one member of a beast race would be better suited to the task."

"Wuldahin, then. He is one of the gentler dragons."

"A dragon may be too intimidating. No matter his temperament."

The Legate grimaced. "Then there's Sri-Ma, the argonian."

"You do not approve?"

He closed his eyes and took a breath. "Permission to speak freely, ma'am?"

"Of course."

"That woman makes me wish there were laws against fraternization in the Army. She has made out with every type of Black Soul in the Empire short of a dragon; she's even bedded dremora, for Talos' sake!"

"You fear that she may try to seduce our guests?"

"Not may, _will_."

Graar Mok coughed. "Kesara, they've sent a reply. They want us to send ambassadors to their ship."

"Very well. Teach Sri-Ma the charm and direct her to the nearest teleportation post. Let these Men know, we will be there soon. Ra'Siri, Qoresce, with me."

Ioren's brow furrowed in confusion. "You believe a dragon would be too intimidating, yet you're thinking of bringing your tsaesci bodyguard?"

"Kesara knows what she is doing. That said, Qoresce, could you take your argonian form?"

Once the change was complete, the three delegates walked toward the Throne Room's teleportation post. However, they were interrupted. "Admiral."

"What is it, Quaestor Ilas?"

"There's a Gray Gate in this Collective."

The Khajiit waved off the maormer's concern. "After the meeting, we'll call in the Fleet to take care of it."

"This one's different. Look." He flung the image to one of the viewers in front of the throne.

He was right. Unlike any other Gate, the rings of this one were revolving around a glowing blue-white orb of pure non-magical energy. "Curious. We'll ask about it. In light of this, Kesara would like you to join us, Graar."

The Mind mimed stretching his spine and cracking his neck. "I suppose it's time to stretch my legs. Transferring my consciousness to my simulacrum."

"Let's not keep a soul waiting." They walked into the post, where the mechanical orc met them. "Take us there."

* * *

SSV _Antietam_

"They say they'll be here soon, Commander."

Mikhalovic stood. "Right. Shepard, you have the conn. Let me know when their shuttle arrives."

"Yes, sir."

The Commander walked back through the CIC to the briefing room, meeting Second Lieutenant Eric Donner, the closest the frigate had to a linguist, at the door leading to the crew quarters. "Sir. What do we know about these aliens?"

"Almost nothing. They're fast learners; they sent the message requesting this meeting mere minutes after receiving the contact package." He decided to leave out the "ice ship" fact; that was too fanciful. His next words died inside his throat in shock.

The briefing room was occupied, and it shouldn't have been. Four aliens were there, as well as some sort of mechanical construct. Two were cat-like, the other two were lizard-like, and the construct looked a bit like an orc from those old vid games the commander played when he was young.

Much of his attention was caught by the size disparity among these aliens. The construct and one of each alien were between five and six feet tall, but the other lizard was over seven feet and the other cat a whopping nine feet in height. All except the construct were armed. "How the hell did you get in here?"

The construct answered, in English. "We teleported in, of course." At the humans' incredulous expressions, it produced a sound like a sigh and added, "And my theory is proven correct."

"You're an AI?!"

The Lieutenant was more interested in what the construct had said. "What theory?"

The synthetic leaned forward and hunched its shoulders. "I am not some computer that can play at being a person. I was not born as a string of numbers. In life, I was the orsimer Graar Mok, and now my mind is freed from the fetters of my body.

"As for the theory, that can be explained later, after you understand our culture."

The Commander considered what to do for a moment before accepting that he could do nothing about this AI that didn't think it was one. "Well, then, will you be translating or…?"

The smaller lizard, who was manipulating a small, green field of energy, said something in a rough raspy language. "That will not be necessary."

The lizard suddenly leaned forward, nearly falling out of its seat, and slammed its palm onto the floor, and the energy field expanded until it washed over everyone in the room. "What the hell?"

The smaller cat spoke. "A simple comprehension charm to allow us to speak freely." The tone of voice suggested it was female, though it contained a slight rasp that made it a little confusing. "I can understand your confusion, as the inborn ability to wield true magic appears rare or even nonexistent beyond the races of our home world."

"You're joking. Magic? That's the stuff of fiction."

Mikhalovic wanted to cuff the junior officer upside the head, but the small lizard gave its own rebuttal. It held out its hand and a ribbon of golden light danced around the fingers. The light changed to a bolt of electricity, then a tongue of flame. "Are you convinced?" The rasp remained, but the voice was still noticeably female.

The cat laid a hand on the lizard's thigh. "Forgive their ignorance, Sri-Ma." She turned back to the Alliance officers. "And forgive our manners, for we have not even introduced ourselves." She touched an open hand to her chest. "I am Admiral Kesara, commander of the _Wrath of Akatosh_. Kesara's companions are Sri-Ma, Graar Mok, Ra'Siri, and Qoresce." The Admiral gestured toward each as she introduced them, the latter two being the giant cat and the large lizard, respectively.

"Commander Josef Mikhalovic, SSV _Antietam_. This is Lieutenant Eric Donner. As you were the ones who requested this meeting, what do you want?"

"We wish to arrange a Moot, a meeting between your leaders and ours."

Mikhalovic rubbed the back of his head. "That's a bit above my pay grade ma'am."

"Very well. We'll wait until someone of appropriate rank arrives. It's obvious you called your superiors, as that is what we would've done in your place. In the meantime, Kesara is sure we have many questions for each other."

Eric piped up. "Yeah. First, what do I call your species?"

Sri-Ma was just as quick to answer. "I am an argonian. Kesara and Ra'Siri are khajiit, Graar Mok was an orsimer before becoming an Unfettered Mind, and Qoresce is a tsaesci."

Eric's brow knitted. "What's the difference between an argoneen and a saycee?"

The big lizard hissed at the mispronunciation of his species' name, but the Admiral forestalled his protest with a withering glare. "The _**tsaesci**_are a race of shapeshifters whose true forms are both majestic and intimidating. Therefore, Kesara ordered Qoresce to assume an _**argonian**_ form to avoid problems." The emphasis she placed on the species names ensured that the humans understood how to pronounce them. "Now, my first question. What is the purpose of this mechanism?"

A cloud of blue-violet smoke wafted above her hand and resolved into the shape of an active Relay, complete with rotating rings and eezo cloud. "The Mass Relays? They're used to travel between star clusters almost instantly." The aliens looked at each other and Sri-Ma groaned. "What?"

Kesara's ears twisted around to lay flat against her skull. "Over the past sixty nine years, we have discovered seven Relays and, fearing that they could be a form of Oblivion Gates, destroyed all of them—"

"You _what_?!"

"Oh, the Council is going to be so pissed."

"Do you not have an alternative method?"

The Commander opened his mouth and realized that he was about to walk on eggshells. Revealing the drawbacks of mass effect FTL to a species that didn't use it could have serious ramifications. "Let's just say that the Relays are much faster."

At that moment, Staff Lieutenant Darren Shepard walked in. "The _Everest_'s battle group has arrived. Rear Admiral Hackett is leading them," he whispered.

"Good. Kesara hopes he can arrange the Moot."

"You could hear that?"

Ra'Siri grinned, or at least Mikhalovic thought the bared top teeth equated a grin. "Khajiit has better hearing than you."

The Commander huffed. "Forget it. Follow me. You'll take a shuttle to the _Everest_. You're very likely to be shot if you teleport into the Admiral's presence."

"Understandable. Lead on."

* * *

**CODEX ENTRIES:**

**Magelight Viewer:**

Developed by the Empire near the beginning of their Industrial Revolution over two thousand years ago, the magelight viewer works much like the modern haptic interface. Like most technology in the Empire, the viewer is based on magic rather than technology and only reacts to the touch of someone with magical talent, standard training among all classes under the Empire's banner. They can also project three-dimensional holograms that can be manipulated with a touch.

**Scrying:**

Where most races use radar, ladar, and visual sensors, the Nirnian races use Scrying sensors. These can learn just as much, with the addition of being able to detect magical energies.

While repeatedly debunked by the scholars of Nirn, a persistent myth claims that Scrying sensors can reach into an enemy ship and observe what is going on inside as though looking through the eyes of a crewman.

**Teleportation Post:**

When the first Aetherial Vessels were being built, the problem of getting men and materiel from the ship to either another ship or the surface of a planet and vice versa was one of the earliest obstacles to be tackled. While the ship-to-surface-and-back transport was handled by applications of telekinesis and levitation magic, that method required the ship to be in atmosphere due to the need to open the ship's doors to receive the cargo. Moving items and people from one ship to another in the vacuum of space required an entirely different method.

The solution came in the form of a miniaturized version of the Aetherium Jump Mechanism, which allowed ships to move from point to point in space. Deceptively complex and simple in its construction, each teleportation post consists of a heartstone and a sigil stone encased in aetherium and can send one individual at a time to any point up to a mile away. Such posts are becoming more common in mass transit hubs due to their low upkeep costs and in larger warships due to the large intra-ship travel times otherwise.

Often, an Unfettered Mind is used to direct the teleportation to ensure that the users do not end up inside a wall or other equally disastrous location. This is especially the case when both the origin and destination points are moving in space.

**Moot:**

The term traditionally was used to describe a meeting between the various leaders of the Tamrielic province of Skyrim to elect a High King to lead them all. Over time, the term has evolved to refer to any official meeting between leaders for any purpose.


	3. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I am sure that a number of you will hate the decisions I have made for the Empire in this chapter. However, I do have my reasons, which I will list after the main text of the chapter.

3rd of Sun's Dawn, 6E 850/7E 0

INV _Dragoncat_

Citadel, Serpent Nebula

"We are re-entering Aetherius now, my Lord."

The Emperor swallowed back a mouthful of bile and smoothed his tail. "Thank you, Legate." Being flung through any plane of Oblivion was never pleasant, no matter how benevolent the Daedric Lord. He envied the Aetherial Vessels' crews; they jumped often enough to get used to the sensation. "Tell Raka and Tarikea to come to the bridge and my personal guard to get their arms and armor ready."

"Yes, milord."

The Khajiit walked into the adjoining room that had been converted into his quarters for this diplomatic voyage. Its contents were relatively simple, as he liked it.

A plain bed with a snow bear hide blanket dominated one corner. On the table beside it were his favorite book, _Words of Clan Mother Ahnissi_, and a bottle of sujamma.

In the opposite corner stood a mannequin and a weapon rack, upon which were the Armor and Blade of the Emperor. Both had been used by Dovahkaaz I even before he defeated Alduin. They were obsolete now, but they were still used for ceremonial functions, such as meeting foreign leaders.

Between the corners stood his wardrobe, containing both his formal and informal clothes.

Finally, on the wall next to the door, was a portrait of Emperor Dovahkaaz I. The current Emperor laid his fingertips against the figure's chin. "Alkosh, Talos, and Azurah give me strength." Absently, he scratched the area behind his ear, which still itched from the human translation device that had been slid under the skin there to prepare him for this meeting.

He slid off his imperial robe, revealing his scarred body, stowed it in the wardrobe, withdrew an ornate cloak of burgundy linen lined with white wolf fur, and began to don the armor. The pattern was familiar to the point of habit: cuirass, greaves, boots, gauntlets, all were positioned and secured in just a few minutes. He forewent the helmet for the time being and attached the cloak to the armor's pauldrons. Finally, he lifted the Blade off of the rack and clipped the scabbard to his belt. He paused to read the runes etched into the blade: _The Claw of Akatosh_. After savoring a pang of nostalgia, he slid the sword home.

He walked out of the room, helm in hand, and nearly collided with his nord bodyguard, Erik. "My liege! I'm so sorry."

A hand on Erik's pauldron forestalled further apologies. "It is all right, my friend. Neither of us saw the other coming, a common occurrence. Now, I assume you've come to tell me that the others are ready."

"Yes, your majesty. Please follow me."

It was only a moment's walk before they reached the cargo hold. A few feet further brought them to the loading/unloading chamber, colloquially called the "drop house" by the troops who used it. The other two leaders were waiting and conversing. "Drem yol lok, Tarikea, Tosh." Dovahzul had become the unofficial language for diplomacy in the Empire.

Tosh Raka, the first Ka'Po'Tun to transform into a dragon and back, stealing a version of their timelessness along the way, smiled. "Drem yol lok, Dovahkaaz. Do you know what delays us?"

Erik said, "The Ship Legate said that the Citadel's dockmaster ordered us to wait for 'proper docking clearance' before we can leave the ship."

"Perfect," Tarikea, the raloi councilor, trilled. He pulled a teriji, an apple-like fruit native to Turvess, out of a pocket and started eating to pass the time.

That reminded the Emperor of a curious phenomenon first observed with the raloi. None of the foods they could eat were palatable to the races of Nirn and vice versa. Raloi scholars had been unable to divine the reason.

The humans, this new race of Men, had found that they, too, would have this relationship with Nirnian food, due to something they called 'chirality.' As he understood it, the bricks the bodies of the races of Nirn were built from were functionally similar to those of the raloi and humans, but they were made of mirror materials that could not blend, much like stalrhim and stone. The humans called these bricks dextro- and levo-amino acids, respectively.

As he ate, the raloi fidgeted, showing that he, like most of his kind, was not comfortable being in confined spaces.

Finally, after more than a minute, the _Dragoncat_ received clearance to dock. "Good. Let's not keep this Council waiting, my friends."

The group lined up at the doors and Dovahkaaz tallied who was coming. Each leader had two Blades guarding them, except for the Emperor who, at Paarthurnax's insistence, had three. All the guards had been born on the same continent as their respective charges, in an effort to ensure that the representation of each greater culture was as fair as possible.

In addition to Erik, Dovahkaaz's bodyguards were a falmer, Keridor, and an orsimer, Borshegar.

Tosh was under the protection of a tang-mo, Bonibor, and an undisguised tsaesci, Versidue Saresh. All three were chatting amicably. Before Dovahkaaz I and the Nerevarine's efforts, members of the three races would never be seen in the same room unless it was to kill each other.

Tarikea's sentries were the only two raloi members of the Blades, for the time being. Their names the Emperor could not pronounce, due to the birdsong nature of most raloi names. The translations, he'd been told, suggested an argonian-like name structure: Hunts-the-Dawn and Talons-Pierce-All.

Apart from the raloi, all of the Blades were of Imperial Dragon rank, the highest rank below that of Grandmaster.

A familiar sensation of weightlessness washed over the Khajiit as the hold's levitation field activated and the doors opened. The group descended gracefully to the docking platform and awaited their Citadel escort.

A few minutes later, the door at the end of the platform slid open, revealing a dozen Citadel guards from four races, including one human.

Five of them were tall, and seemed to have three-fingered hands, metallic plates of bone growing on their flat faces, and a trio of long spines extending back from the top of their skulls. They wore angular blue armor and face-paint that differed between individuals; the one in front had a blue stripe along his, if the pheromones worked the same as with Nirnians, cheeks and the plates that hung on either side of his jaws.

Three of the guards looked much like blue-skinned humans with six tentacle-like ridges on their skulls. Their armor was crafted with many graceful curves, but painted brown-black instead of blue. Curiously, the other non-humans stood slightly further from them than each other, as though unsure of what the blue-skins might do. The Emperor made a mental note to ask about it.

The last three were distinguished by thick horns on their heads, flat faces with nostril holes instead of a nose and large, slanted eyes, and concave upper abdomens. Their armor accentuated this latter attribute with a bar that arced up to half a foot away from their chest.

The human stepped forward. "I'm Officer Harkin. This is my Captain, Talus Vakarian. We're going to be your babysitters while you're on the Citadel. First order of business is taking you to see the Council."

"Well then lead on, good man," the Emperor replied in the human tongue called English.

"Huh. You're a fast learner."

"Magic helps with that."

One of the cave-chests scoffed. "Magic? That's impossible in reality as it breaks the laws of physics."

In unison, each of the Blades conjured their swords, daedric katanas, for a moment before dispelling them. "Are you convinced?" Tosh asked.

"Alright. Enough showmanship. We've still got official things to do," Harkin said as he helped usher everyone into the lift and set it in motion.

Even in the cramped elevator, the wary distance from the blue-skins was maintained. That caused the khajiit's curiosity to peak. "If this is not prying into your privacy, why do you fear your companions?"

The plates beside Talus' mouth spread. "Spirits, you don't know?" He leaned in and whispered, "They're asari commandoes, the best warriors in the galaxy. Each of them could kill fifty soldiers from any other race without running out of breath."

Dovahkaaz looked at the asari, as they were apparently called and studied them. Slim physiques suggested they fought more with their brains than their brawn and preferred not getting hit to letting the blow roll off of them. "Someday, I would like to see how our Dragon Knights perform against them."

The C-Sec Captain blinked. "You're insane."

The Citadel Council Chambers

Tevos' eyes again flicked to the report the humans had sent over. It was an unnecessary gesture, as she had memorized every word. She would be the first to admit that, in her nearly nine hundred years of life, she had never heard of anything like this Empire of the Dragon: a massive coalition of races that did not use element zero and had reached the stars without developing fusion power.

If the report hadn't jointly come directly from the human Parliament and Systems Alliance High Command with a classification level of "Councilors' Eyes Only," she would have dismissed the entirety as fiction, instead of just the more outrageous parts, like the supposed use of magic. Still, this Empire could destabilize the balance of galactic power unless they were put in their place, quickly.

Movement drew her attention to the central stairway, which was being crested by Captain Vakarian. Beside him was the young human officer, Harkin. Following them were the members of the Imperial delegation, led by a giant snake-like creature wearing just vambraces and two cats. One was wearing gray plate armor with an animal motif, with the exception of a bronze-colored right gauntlet, from head to toe; the helmet and pauldrons evoked the image of a wolf. The other wore only greaves, gauntlets, and a cuirass and possessed a reptilian tail, bat-like wings, and horns.

Behind them were three birds, two of whom were armed and armored. Tevos began to notice a pattern in the Empire's armor. It was primarily constructed from large, thick, heavy-looking plates of metal or, on the winged cat, a blue-white crystalline material that seemed tantalizingly familiar. Regardless of the construction, their armor appeared to be very primitive, lacking any visible electronics.

After them were more of the Imperial bodyguards. Among them were a lithe primate who, like the winged cat and the snake, wore little armor; a green-skinned humanoid with jutting lower canines who wore even darker green heavy armor; a snow-white-skinned and –haired humanoid with pointed ears who wore lighter-looking yellowish-white armor; and, to the asari's utter disbelief, what looked like a tall, fair-skinned human.

Then there were the other turian and salarian C-Sec officers and, finally, the squad of asari commandoes.

Both cats and the unarmored bird continued on to the central platform while everyone else fanned out around the room. The wingless cat, who was also the shortest of the three, spoke first. "Honored Councilors. I am Emperor Dovahkaaz II of Tamriel on Nirn. My companions are Lord Tosh Raka of Akavir, also on Nirn, and Councilor Tarikea of Kyradaem on Turvess."

Sensing that he had finished, Tevos spoke next. "I am Councilor Tevos, representing the Asari Republics. My fellow Councilors are Sparatus of the Turian Hierarchy and Lilern of the Salarian Union."

The Emperor bowed his head. "Well met. I assume you can figure out why we have come before you."

"You wish to properly integrate into the galactic community." It had been agreed that Tevos would do most of the speaking for the Council. "May I ask, what is your race called?"

"We are many races united under the banner of the Dragon," Tosh said. That was when Tevos understood the sigil embossed at least once on each of their suits of armor. Tosh then listed the races of the Imperial delegation. "Of all of the races of the Empire, only the raloi were not created on Nirn."

Lilern voiced her confusion. "It is extremely rare for even one sapient race to evolve on a world. Seven is unheard of."

Tarikea shook his head. "There are actually sixteen races native to Nirn. Apparently, there was a seventeenth whose scheming natures led to their extinction."

To her credit, the salarian didn't bat an eye. It was well known that the Union's entire military doctrine was built around their intelligence arm. Instead, she changed the subject. "The file the humans sent us says that your ships do not use element zero. How did your empire expand to the stars beyond your home system?"

The Emperor answered. "To expand on that, we never even heard of element zero before encountering the humans. We use what we call the Aetherium Jump Mechanism. It teleports a ship to a plane of Oblivion, temporarily, before returning it to a different place in Aetherius, what you would call space."

"And, how fast is this method?"

"We can reach any location in about one hour."

Lilern looked ready to continue, but Tevos cut her off. "Before we become sidetracked, let us return to why we are here." She turned back to Dovahkaaz. "The first step for most races' integration is to establish an embassy here on the Citadel. Before that can happen, there are a few treaties that need to be signed on to." She pressed a few buttons on her console. "I have forwarded them to Officer Harkin's omni-tool for your perusal. Take all the time you need."

She mentally crossed her fingers as the Emperor read the treaties. As expected, there were things he needed clarification on. "What qualifies as a weapon of mass destruction?"

Being career military, Sparatus was most qualified to answer. "A weapon of mass destruction can most basically be defined as any weapon that can render a region uninhabitable for years, decades, or even centuries."

"Ah. I can see why their use is restricted." He continued reading. "How do you define an AI?"

It was Lilern's turn. "An artificial intelligence is a computer that can form complex thoughts and make decisions beyond the bounds of its programming. However, as they are driven by logic without emotions to temper it, they come to think that we organics are useless vermin to exterminate."

"Do you have any proof of that assumption?"

"Three hundred years ago, the quarians accidentally created a race of AI called the geth. When their numbers were high enough, the geth rebelled, slaughtering billions of quarians and driving the survivors into exile. There are only seventeen million quarians left."

"Hmmm. A machine that can think for itself is a concept we never thought could be created."

"What of these 'Unfettered Minds' of yours?"

"They are not machines."

"Enlighten us of the difference, for we see none."

"An Unfettered Mind is born when a person who has reached the natural end of their life elects to have their consciousness transferred to a properly crafted soul gem. The body dies, but their mind lives on, freed from the fetters of its physical form, hence the name Unfettered Mind."

"Fascinating. Becoming an Unfettered Mind would be a form of immortality, then?"

The Emperor nodded. "In a way. The experiment that accidentally created the first was, in fact, an unauthorized attempt to achieve immortality." Any further questions from the Council were forestalled by another question from Dovahkaaz. "This sharing of technology. Would that benefit us, as well?"

"Of course," Tevos said. "That treaty was made to ensure that no race would have an unfair technology advantage over the others."

"What would we have to give to fulfill this treaty?"

"Schematics and samples of your technology."

"How would magic fit into that trade?"

Lilern scoffed, and Tevos took a more diplomatic route. "To quote a human author, 'any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.' We will figure it out."

Several members of the Nirnian delegation appeared ready to laugh at that statement, but the Emperor stopped them with a glare. "Allow us a moment to discuss this, Councilors." The three Nirnian leaders debated for several minutes. Finally, Dovahkaaz turned back to the Council. "Your terms are…agreeable to the Empire of the Dragon. If there is nothing more to discuss—"

Sparatus chose that moment to bring up his issue. "Actually, there is one more discrepancy in the humans' report I want to have cleared up. You claim to have destroyed mass relays, but everyone in this room knows that that's impossible."

"I am afraid you are mistaken." Wisps of blue-violet energy flowed down Dovahkaaz's arms as though he were preparing to use biotics. He knelt and thrust his arms upward, dispersing the energy into a large cloud.

The cloud focused, becoming a projection of a dormant mass relay and several ships viewed from the bridge of another ship, bringing Tevos' tally to seventeen. A dark-skinned man, apparently the captain, said something in his native tongue, and every Nirnian ship opened fire. Streams of lightning and what looked like pure light streaked toward the relay. Before they hit, the projection changed. The relay was battered, with chunks taken out of it, one ring was split in half, and the other had been blown off of one of its anchor points. When a final barrage tore away the lower "arm" of the construct, the relay activated for a fraction of a galactic second before the mass effect field imploded, ripping the relay to shreds.

The projection faded and the Emperor stood, trembling and panting. "That was the fate of the Turvess Relay, the fifth we encountered and destroyed."

Tevos looked at Sparatus. His shoulders were shuddering, but his mandibles twitched. "How long did it take you to destroy that masterpiece of prothean construction?"

"A full day. And our fleet has only grown since then."

Tevos found herself surprised at the turian's restraint. Normally, his zealotry for protecting prothean artifacts was exceeded only by the hanar. Now? His reaction was more subdued. "I demand that you stop destroying relays and give up the manufacturing secrets of your Aetherium Jump Mechanisms. What materials in what quantities and how they fit together. If you don't, then we will take it by force."

After another discussion, the Emperor nodded. "If that is the price we must pay for our ignorance, so be it. You will receive samples and the most detailed schematics. For the technology sharing, we will also donate an obsolete Aetherial Vessel for your perusal. Use it as you can. Fare well. We shall send you signed copies of these treaties within the week."

As the Nirnians turned and walked away, Tevos couldn't shake the feeling that Emperor Dovahkaaz II had managed to swindle the Council. _That was too easy_. Still, the Empire was now under the Citadel's jurisdiction, with all of the restrictions that entailed. Tevos felt she could count that as a victory, if nothing else.

She could not have been more wrong.

**Author's Note 2:  
Two things:**

**The Emperor did swindle the Citadel Council. Anyone guess how?**

**As for why the Empire accepted the deal to join the Council, let me ask you this: What does the Empire actually lose from this? For the in-universe foreseeable future, nothing. They only have the one dreadnaught, don't use WMDs, and they don't use AI.**


End file.
